An era in the technology sector is coming to an end. Microsoft has officially announced that it is completely stopping the hardware production of HoloLens mixed reality headsets. The company will continue to support HoloLens 2 users until the end of 2027 but won’t develop new HoloLens hardware after that. So why did the company make such a decision? Details in our news…
Microsoft is completely withdrawing from HoloLens
What will happen to users? As you know, HoloLens, one of Microsoft’s biggest ventures in mixed reality, had garnered significant interest especially in enterprise solutions and military projects. However, the project faced serious challenges in recent years. So what happened? Here are the reasons behind the decision:
- In 2022, Alex Kipman, who was heading HoloLens, left Microsoft following allegations against him.
- In 2023, the company entered a major layoff process and the hardware division was downsized.
- The HoloLens 2 team was also greatly affected by this process.
Robin Seiler, the head of Microsoft’s mixed reality unit, stated in her announcement that the company will completely stop hardware development but will continue working with the US military on the IVAS (Integrated Visual Augmentation System) project.
Microsoft will focus more on AI and cloud-based solutions
Microsoft, withdrawing from the HoloLens hardware business, announced that it will now focus more on AI and cloud-based solutions. Especially in projects like IVAS, it wants to develop cloud-based services and AI-powered software instead of mixed reality hardware. In the future, the company might offer software solutions by collaborating with other firms rather than producing hardware in the mixed reality space. So what happens next?
- HoloLens 2 users will continue to receive support until 2027.
- Development of solutions for military systems under the IVAS project will continue.
- Microsoft will shift its augmented reality and mixed reality investments to AI and cloud services.
What do you think about Microsoft’s decision? How will the end of HoloLens affect the mixed reality market? You can write your opinions in the comments section below…
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